Recommended by Greg and June

I found this to be really slow and boring ( )

beautiful story about mothers and daughters/family/loss/identity ( )

2.5

I wanted to like this book more but it was just OK. I felt removed and distant and the story often read like a screenplay or script instead of a novel. Pages of short snappy dialogue can get old fast. The writing style just didn't resonate with me, to the point where it didn't generate so much as a tear to my eye - and I'm a crier. On a positive note, the book did deal with the effects of war on military families and the importance of family and community. MINOR SPOILER: Some passages shine but I didn't think the sex scene (and how it was handled by the adults) and the f-bombs by the overly precocious 8 yr old did a thing to further the story. ( )

Review: Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington.

Some will say, “just another one of them stories” but every one is unique. It might be a fiction story but it reaches the heights of reality. Anytime you come across the subject matter of someone going off to war is a sad event to go through. The author creates a beautiful heartfelt story about Alice Bliss and her family as there home hero goes to war. It’s a story of love, loss, beginnings and ends.

Alice is a fifteen year old teenager growing up while her father is miles away because of a war, a reality that has happened to many families in recent years. Alice is at the coming of age point experiencing teenage emotions and now there is the added stress of missing her father. She has always been bonded more to her dad and now she must deal with her mother who gets on her nerves and they can’t seem to see eye to eye on anything. Alice feels burden with the responsibilities of caring for her younger sister Ellie, doing the laundry, and making meals because her mom, Angie, can’t seem to get herself motivated to think of anything besides her husband not being there for her. The family is in turmoil day after day waiting for Matt’s calls or letters, which are few and far-in-between.

Everyone tries to handle Matt’s absent as best they can and than the family is hit with bad news. Matt has been taken as a prisoner and the military are doing their best to locate him. While this is going on Angie, the mother throws herself into her work at the expense of her daughters, Ellie being only eight decides to alter her appearance by cutting her hair short and wearing a pair of glasses, black square rimmed that look to big on her face and Alice takes up running to try to escape from all that’s going on around her.

As the story progresses Alice is growing more mature and having to learn what life is all about long before she should have to. She experiences her first embarrassing kiss with her childhood friend Henry who is hopelessly in love with her and Alice struggles with those troublesome teenage emotions.

There are other characters that make the story more connected and supported as the family waits for some good news. I already mentioned Henry who is loyal, funny, charming and always there for Alice and her family. Than we have Uncle Eddie who is different and unique and teaches Alice life lessons on driving a car and the fundamentals of doing maintenance on the car. Plus, there is a grandma character who is wonderful and the kind of grandma that everyone wishes for. She is the one who shoves food at you when you’re sad, and holds you without saying a word…..
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